How to Fortify Your Business Against Cyber Attack

by Polly Dickinson

There are many measures you take every day to protect your business. You invest in locks and keypads to secure your building and run background checks to protect your staff. Important documents are kept in locked cabinets, cash protected inside password secured till drawers and safes. But what do you do to protect your business from cyber attacks? The threat of cyber attack can not be underestimated as risks are increasing all the time. Not only are the tactics evolving, but motives are changing too. This means it’s becoming increasingly difficult to protect a business from these attacks, hence the need for proper protection, such as that offered by Exiger cyber risk management. What is cyber risk management? And why should you invest in? Let’s find out.

What is Cyber Risk Management?

Cyber risk management gives you the power to handle cyber attacks in order to reduce the number you experience and the limit the damage they can do. You need to be able to identify risks, assess the damage they can do and mitigate the consequences. These efforts will help you to protect your systems including the software and networks you use and the data you store. Beside the identification of valuable assets and potential risks, it helps you develop plans that will protect them. It is a process that should be ongoing, consistent, regularly updated and renewed to deal with the changing scene of cyber war. Security controls can be implemented, response plans can be developed, and staff can be trained.

Why is Cyber Risk Management So Important?

As more processes move online, there are more threats to go along with them. As these new challenges and risks rear their ugly heads, businesses need to take all the steps they can to protect themselves. Furthermore, as you open channels of communication and cooperation with other businesses, you open yourselves up to other threats and third party risks. Protection against these risks is absolutely essential. Sensitive information is easily compromised and if that happens, trust is lost, and reputation is ruined. Furthermore, the standards that need to be met in order to be completely compliant are very high.

What Technology Can You Use to Improve Your Cyber Security?

Cyber risks are difficult and complex, so meeting the challenge can be daunting and it can feel overwhelming to get started. With this being the case, finding the right platform to manage cyber risks is essential to fit the needs of your business and the threats you’re facing. Basically, cybersecurity is based on three core pillars – people, process and tech. Businesses need to train the people within their teams to be able to identify threats and handle them effectively. Employing staff dedicated solely to cyber security adds an extra element of personnel protection. Businesses also need to develop proactive processes that assess vulnerabilities and remedy them in priority of urgency. Advances in technology are also providing even great security in terms of cyber attacks and this tech is worth the investment if it keeps your business safe.

Technology is used in the development of cyber threats – strategies are now emerging that use artificial intelligence and robotic process automation. Furthermore, technology is allowing work to be done remotely, expanding the boundaries of the workplace, meaning that cyber security needs to be adapted to protect the whole network, not just each user. This forms the basis of zero-trust architecture – this is the new VPN for cyber security. This kind of network is a framework for businesses to adopt a strict, multi-tiered approach to secure a network with the assumption that no user can be automatically trusted. It means that all users need to be continually validated and reauthorised. This method is the fastest growing area of network security and will surely prove to be the security framework of the future.

As well as zero-trust architecture, there are other technologies that organisations can employ to improve their cyber security. Hyper automation can protect the work stored on the cloud; code can be created to protect the company infrastructure. It’s becoming advantageous for businesses to use artificial intelligence and machine learning to quickly defend against attackers in their use of the same technology. When defences are created by machine learning algorithms can help businesses to search through massive amounts of data in real-time to find threats and discrepancies. Unusual behaviours can be identified, alerts sent, and defences readied to protect the business.

Key Features of a Platform That Manages Cyber Risks

Evidently, cyber threats are real, and cyber risk management is a necessity for modern businesses. This will help you to work out which technologies to employ to protect your network. There are lots of different risk management platforms out there, so how can you find one that will work for you? You need to choose one with the features and functions that will fit your needs. There are a few key features businesses should look out for:

– An adaptable platform that can be adjusted to suit certain needs.

– A system that has the ability to assess risks and quantify them.

– Reporting features that give real time data and information.

– Automation capabilities to instantly respond to and defend against attacks.

Do your research when it comes to deciding on a platform that is best for you. Get to know your business, the information you need to protect as well as the threats that may be unique to your industry. Then, using that information, you can find the right defence to invest in. Read up on various providers, read reviews and ask fellow businesses for their feedback and recommendations. It will be worth the time, money, and effort you invest if you can protect the valuable assets of your business. You can prove yourself to be a competent, reliable, and trustworthy business that takes safety seriously. Improve the reputation and uphold the good name of your business by making good decisions in the area of cyber risk management.

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